The champ is here.
New World Boxing Organization lightweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford returned to Omaha on Sunday night, one day after making history in Glasgow, Scotland.
Crawford dethroned two-division champion Ricky Burns at the Scottish Exhibition Centre on Saturday to become the first fighter from Omaha to win a major world boxing title. Former heavyweight champ Max Baer was born in the city, but moved to Colorado, then California.
Crawford knew the history he was chasing. The magnitude of his accomplishment hit him, perhaps harder than Burns had, when he was welcomed home by a large crowd at the airport Sunday.
Family, friends and fans waited for more than an hour because Crawford's plane had been delayed. That didn't dampen the celebration. They went wild when the champ arrived.
“It was crazy. Man, I was blown away,” Crawford said. “(I had thought about being a world champion) a little bit, but it really didn't hit me until just now, when I'd seen everybody embracing me when I came through that little door. ... It's like a dream come true.”
Walking behind a Team Crawford banner in the airport, the champion smiled and pointed to familiar faces as he made his way toward the crowd. He hugged his mother before being swallowed into the audience that made their way to Eppley Airfield to welcome him home.
Crawford later relived some of the moments from his unanimous decision victory over Burns, who was defeated for the first time in 10 world title fights. The champ also briefly alluded to the September night in 2008 when he was hit in the back of the head by a spinning bullet in his hometown.
“Man, it was just like dreams do come true,” he said. “That's all I was thinking. I didn't have to be here. I got a second chance at life, and I made the best of it.”
Crawford's co-manager, Brian McIntyre, said his fighter did “a perfect job” in his first title bout. He believed Crawford would reach this point, but was still humbled in the moment.
“It hasn't hit me yet,” he said. “I know we accomplished something. We made history. I know the city got behind us. I know Terence won a world title. I know it's good for the city. But it hasn't hit me yet. I try not to look at it like as a historical point, just to keep myself grounded.”
It was historic, however. And it may only be the beginning of something much bigger. The new WBO champion said he'd love to make his first title defense at CenturyLink Center.
No opponent has been discussed as of yet. But Crawford would appear to have options for a regular title defense or a unification bout with one of the other lightweight beltholders.
Asked what doors were opened, he said, “All of them. I've got the keys to all the doors.”
That includes a key to the city, which is scheduled to be presented Tuesday. Crawford then intends to take his title belt back to the schools he's recently visited while speaking to Omaha youth.
He'll return to Brewsky's Food & Spirits, where a viewing party for Saturday's fight was held for an overflow crowd, on Thursday to meet the public for the first time as a world champion.
Crawford said he never doubted that he would come back to Omaha with the WBO belt.
“I was hungry. I was dedicated. I was motivated to go get that title, and that's what I did,” he said.
Khan aint trying to fight no live bodies right now until he gets his shot at Floyd.
I just take what he says with a grain of salt right now....when the press conference starts...we will see if he changes that tune.
